


He'll Need Us In The Morning

by Buttsuoka_Rin



Series: Make It Three [4]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, References to Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-01
Updated: 2012-09-01
Packaged: 2017-11-13 08:27:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/501475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buttsuoka_Rin/pseuds/Buttsuoka_Rin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John is grieving. All Sherlock and Lestrade can do is be there for him.</p><p>warning for reference to an overdose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He'll Need Us In The Morning

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not great at writing grieving characters. But I gave it a shot.

"How is he?" Sherlock asked, looking up from the table to Greg, who closed the door to Sherlock's bedroom quietly. 

"Asleep. For now. I think he's tired himself out from crying."

"I've never seen him like this before. I don't like it." Sherlock said in a low voice. Seeing John so broken... It was strange. Sherlock stood up. "Tea?"

"Please." Greg dropped down onto a chair heavily and pushed his hands through his hair. "He's going home tomorrow. To his parents, I mean."

"They need him more than we do."

"And he needs us when he wakes up." Greg accepted a steaming cup of tea with a grateful half-smile. 

The two remained silent for quite some time, listening to the hum of the fridge and the creaking pipes in the walls. Sherlock perched on the edge of the table and stared over at his bedroom door. John was prone to nightmares at the worst of times and this wasn't simply a case that had gone bad: this was the death of his only sister. Only sibling. 

Sherlock had a nagging feeling that there would be a strained shout in the next few hours. A glance down at Greg showed he thought so too.

"You should go to him. I'll join you in a bit, after I've explained things to Mrs. Hudson." Sherlock prised the untouched tea from Greg's hand as gently as he could, bending down to give him a quick peck, and jerked his chin in his bedroom's direction.

Greg nodded. Sherlock threw out the luke warm tea and put everything in the sink to be washed up. Greg paused by the bedroom door.

"Don't be too long. I think he'll need you as well." Sherlock inclined his head in acknowledgement and watched Greg turn his back and close the door.

Inside, there were snuffles coming from Sherlock's bed followed by John turning to face him. Even in the half-light of the bedroom Greg could see how red his eyes were. The older man approached the bed and sat down.

"I thought you were alseep, love."

"Couldn't. Keep waking up." John's voice was quiet and hoarse.

With a sigh, Greg shuffled under the covers and pulled john close to him, the younger of the two immediately clinging onto his t-shirt.

"Why'd she do it, Greg?" He asked, voice shaking. "Why'd she have to take those fucking pills."

John was shaking again.

"Shh... I don't know, John."

"I knew she had problems but..." He broke off with a little choked sob and buried his face against Greg's chest.

John and his sister never had the greatest relationship, constantly fighting as kids and then growing gradually apart as they grew up and John was deployed. But they still talked on the phone and got along well enough to visit each other on birthdays and Christmas.

John listened to her cry when Clara left and supported her when she sobered up. Harry's suicide hit him hard. And then there was his parents; they were heartbroken. 

Greg held John and soothed a hand up and down his back. He pressed his lips against John's sandy hair and held him until he quietened down to raggedy breaths again. 

"Stay with me."

"I'm here John." John raised his head and Greg wiped under his eyes with his thumb. "Not going anywhere, not tonight."

John exhaled and rested his head on Greg's chest again.

"Will you and Sherlock come with me tomorrow? I don't want to go back alone."

"Your parents won't mind us being there? I don't want us to impose, John."

Greg felt John shake his head against his chest.

"Y'won't be. It's about time you met them anyway." Bad timing maybe, but it was probably the last time John would going back home again for a while.

"Alright. We'll stop at my place in the morning before the train so I can pack a bag."

"Thank you. I'm sorry... I don't know what I'd do without you. Or Sherlock." John closed his eyes and swallowed, the ache in his chest subsiding just a bit. "I love you."

"I love you too, John. So does Sherlock even if he shows it more than says it. And don't you apologise, you know I'd go to the ends of the earth for you." Greg felt John hug him tighter in another silent thank you.

They arranged themselves into a more comfortable position. Greg stayed awake until he felt John's breathing even out once again. John needed this peace, he decided, even if it was only temporary.

Fifteen minutes later, the door cracked open and Greg turned to look as Sherlock slipped inside. He padded over to them and slipped into bed on the other side of John. Greg and Sherlock looked at each other over John's sleeping form.

"Did he wake?"

"Not too long ago. I think he'll sleep tonight though." Greg's thumb soothed over John's bicep. Sherlock draped a arm across them both and sighed, closing his eyes. He was used to seeing people grieve over loved ones, though they were usually sitting outside the morgue, or behind a police tape. This was different, this was John. His John. _Their_ John. People could call Sherlock uncaring, and his brother could call caring a disadvantage, but it wasn't true.

He loved John and he loved Greg. To see either of them upset to the point of crying... Sherlock hated it. He hated feeling useless and the fact that there was nothing he could do to _stop_ the situation-

"Hey." Greg whispered, moving his hand to Sherlock's where it was resting on his hip. "Relax. I can practically hear you thinking."

Sherlock frowned for a second and then shook his head. "Sorry."

"He knows. He knows you care."

"I just... Fine." Sherlock sounded unconvinced.

"Sherlock, he sees you during a case. He knows what you're like when it comes to this 'caring lark.' And you know what? John knows he's the exception."

Sherlock glanced down at John's sleeping form with his chin tucked up under Greg's, and smiled sadly. He pushed closer to him and pressed a kiss to the edge of his jaw. John mumbled something incoherent in his sleep before settling down again.

"...You both are." Sherlock closed his eyes and gave Greg's hand a squeeze. Greg understood the meaning immediately and squeezed back.

"Love you too, Sherlock."

None of them changed their position in the night.


End file.
